System of a Down's Serj Tankian is one of modern metal's most popular singers. He's fond of wry political laments howled over demented guitar thrash tempered with Armenian folk. He is also a gentle protector of insects. When an errant moth flew into the living room of his Calabasas home while Tankian served rosewater tea, he rushed to cup his hands around it and set it free out the back door. It was a sweet gesture from a vocalist whose most well-known chorus lyric is "I don't think you trust in my self-righteous suicide." But it gave a hint of where Tankian's head is at as he prepares to release "Elect the Dead," his debut solo album, due Oct. 23. Recorded in his rural home studio, with Tankian handling most of the non-percussion instruments and engineer duties, "Elect the Dead" is more tender and songwriterly than "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize," the two recent chart-topping System records. It's still a brutally engaging guitar-rock album, to be sure, but it seems to come from a longing for small, more personal changes than System's sonic assault suggests. "Civilization is already over," Tankian said. "What I felt with this record is that micro leads to macro. The other day I was trying to make a left turn on the freeway and a lady slowed to let me in, and that's the same thing as kindness between nations." Likewise, "Elect the Dead" is full of tiny deviances from System's sound that add up to a distinctly different record. "Feed Us" is rife with jazzy breakdowns and nervous catcalls, and "Lie Lie Lie" is a daffy cabaret number with campy girlish shrieks. "Unthinking Majority" and "Empty Walls" are more traditionally pummeling rockers. But it seems Tankian isn't burdened by the expectations placed on him as a vanguard representative of modern heavy music and as an activist for the Armenian diaspora. Last year, Tankian lobbied Congress to pass an amendment recognizing the Armenian genocide in Turkey. While the album does have oblique references to "the East where you killed her," "Elect the Dead" isn't a policy paper, nor a way to distance himself from System. Because even with its steely lyricism and throttling textures, "Elect the Dead," as in his band's best moments, is also really, really funny. "Even politics can't be completely serious," Tankian said. "We're silly creatures. If we could record the thoughts of animals, they'd think we're ridiculous." Thanks to SOADFans.com. I'm really interested to hear this album, I think its gonna be an amazing rock album. What do you think ?
That is Awesome..after Underclass Hero came out i had no albums left on the "Waiting for" List...this just got on their
I've been looking forward to this. I was hoping it'd be sooner than October, though. I want this so badly.
Tracklist Revealed Serj Tankian, the visionary frontman for multi-platinum rock band SYSTEM OF A DOWN, will release his debut solo album, entitled "Elect the Dead", on October 23 via Serjical Strike/Reprise Records this fall. The track listing for the effort is as follows: 01. Empty Walls 02. The Unthinking Majority 03. Money 04. Feed Us 05. Saving Us 06. Sky Is Over 07. Baby 08. Honking Antelope 09. Lie Lie Lie 10. Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition 11. Beethoven's C*nt 12. Elect the Dead Known for his work with hard-rock agitators SOAD, Tankian says he had no clue he was about to make a rock record when he began to record at his home studio in Los Angeles last summer. "I was writing more traditional type songs on my piano and acoustic guitar, with a classical, almost operatic flavor; and lo and behold, it ended up being a rock record. Funny what happens when you add distorted guitars and drums," he says. "There are political songs, funny songs, love songs, songs about painful experiences, vanity, and the environment. It has a deep melancholy that runs from the personal to the global, with a glimmer of hope in the solidarity of spirit." Tankian produced "Elect the Dead" himself and played most of the instruments, though the album does feature guest drummers John Dolmayan (SOAD) and Brian "Brain" Mantia (GUNS N' ROSES, PRIMUS). "The singularity of vision is strong when you work alone," he says. "I was a bit skeptical about producing it myself, but I knew how I wanted it to sound. And as I kept going, I realized it was coming together really well so I just finished it on my own. But I had to be careful to push myself like an outside producer would until it was great. I had the same energy and enthusiasm making this album as I did making the first SYSTEM record."